


I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.

by caitlesshea



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Day Dreaming, Future Fic, Human AU, M/M, Time Travel, dads, soccer games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 17:33:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19399027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/pseuds/caitlesshea
Summary: Alex chances a glance at the man shaking him and pauses for a moment. It’s certainly the Michael he met at the coffee shop, but he looks different. Older maybe? What is going on?OrAlex ends up in a future he could only have dreamed of and he doesn't want it to end.





	I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.

**Author's Note:**

> For @allthehearteyes, who wanted a Coffee Shop AU and a sassy teenager for Malex!
> 
> Title from "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi.

Alex was tired. Whoever said going to college on the GI Bill ten years and three tours later after high school was easy, is an asshole. This semester just won’t end, and he thinks if he hears another eighteen year old complain about their fake IDs not getting them into a club he might actually scream. 

He finally shuffles to the front of the line and orders and obscene amount of coffee, hopefully strong enough to wake him up. _He should hope so for the price he paid_. 

He sits down at one of the long communal tables and groans at the relief in his leg. He takes his laptop out of his bag and takes off his glasses and sets them down so he can rub his eyes. 

He looks up just as someone sits across from him and that’s when he notices that the coffee shop has filled up while he wasn’t paying attention. He rubs his hands over his eyes and winces at the light.

“Rough day?” The stranger asks him. Alex nods and takes in his appearance. He’s ruggedly handsome with wild golden curls spilling over his forehead and honey colored eyes hidden behind the same tortoise shell glasses that Alex has.

“You could say that.” Alex quips, proud of himself for not stuttering. 

Mystery man chuckles and the sound goes right through Alex and down to his toes. He takes off his own glasses and sets them down next to Alex’s and holds out his hand.

“I’m Michael.” 

“Alex.” Alex reaches across the table to shake his hand. He goes to grab his glasses to put them back on so he can see Michael properly and **\---**

**\---** as soon as he brings them up to his face and puts them on he realizes it’s blurry. 

He’s about to take them off and give Michael back his own pair when the world shifts. Everything is spinning and the colors are blending together. He feels dizzy with the sensations and reaches to take them off. It takes him a moment to focus, and when he does, he sees Michael, or at least he thinks it’s Michael, up close and in his personal space.

“Alex!” Michael yells while shaking him. Alex bats his hands away and scoots backwards. That’s when he pauses and realizes he’s not in the coffee shop anymore, but on a bed. _A very comfortable, very large bed_. 

“Michael?” Alex chances a glance at the man shaking him and pauses for a moment. It’s certainly the Michael he met at the coffee shop, but he looks different. Older maybe? Although Alex will admit he didn’t get to look at him very long before he ended up in this bed. 

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re feeling okay? That was some nightmare. You don’t need to work today.” Michael says and that’s when Alex notices that Michael is looking a little panicked. He reaches up to grab his hand to reassure him.

“I’m fine, it was just a bad cold.” Alex says and realizes he means that, and he remembers being sick. He reaches for his left hand and sees the gold wedding band, and when he reaches to twirl it, he remembers that he and Michael are married.

“Are you sure? I can cancel class if you need me to.” Michael looks worried.

“No don’t do that. It’s the baby engineers anyways. Easy.” Alex says as the age old joke between them slips easily off his tongue. Michael chuckles. 

“Okay. If you’re sure. Remember you have to pick Rath up from soccer today. And please _do not_ let him tell you he can drive home. I don’t want to spend all weekend fixing the car. How that kid managed to run over both the mailbox _and_ the trash cans is beyond me.” 

“I won’t. We all need to be here for the BBQ this weekend.” Alex says and shuts his mouth as he wonders how he knows that. He’s about ready to full on panic when Michael leans into his personal space and kisses him.

“Okay. But don’t work too hard. Lunch is in the fridge. Love you!” Michael says as he runs out the door. 

Alex rubs his hands over his face and groans. He has no idea what’s going on, but he sees familiar enough crutches that he grabs to head to the bathroom. He notices what looks like a phone on the nightstand and a prosthetic, but he figures he’ll deal with them later. Once he grabs clothes that he’s pretty sure are his, he takes a look in the mirror. He at least still looks like himself, albeit older. His hair is longer and his beard is more pronounced. He can even see some gray hairs.

He finishes with the shower and sits down on the bed to put on his prosthetic. As he grabs it, he notices that it’s more advanced than he’s used to. He reaches to grab his phone and is surprised that it unlocks just at his touch. He smiles at the photo of him and Michael on his lock screen. He gets up on autopilot to wander the house. He eventually finds the coffee and then what he assumes is his office. He sits down in the chair only thinking for a moment that the password to his computer is Michael’s birthday and nearly spills his coffee all over the keyboard.

He looks at the year and gapes at the screen. It’s 2035. It’s the same date that he was in the coffee shop, but it’s sixteen years later. He somehow went to sleep last night in 2019 and woke up in 2035. Which means it’s a week after his forty fifth birthday, and Michael would be turning forty five next month. He has a vague memory of the party they threw for him, which then led to him being sick for nearly a week. 

Before he can fully freak out and figure out what is going on and how to fix it, he looks through the computer. He’s fairly certain he’s still the same Alex if the way he organizes things in 2035 is the same as in 2019. He finds the photo album called “Family” and is bombarded with photos of him, Michael, their son Rath, Michael’s cousins Max and Isobel, with their respective partners Liz and Maria, his niece Rosa and nephew Zan, his friend Kyle and his wife Jenna with their son Jimmy. Every picture he looks at brings more and more memories, which seem to only be triggered when he’s looking at something or talking about something. 

He remembers saying yes to Michael’s offer of dinner after meeting at the coffee shop, he remembers moving in together six months later. He remembers two years after that volunteering at the local group home and meeting Rath, who had the same name as Michael’s late father. He remembers getting married ten years ago, with Rath as their ring bearer and their family and friends as witnesses. It all bombards him, memory after memory, as he looks at more and more photos. He sees video files but he refuses to click on them. 

He jumps when an alarm goes off on his phone, looking at the clock and realizing he has been sitting here looking at photos for nearly five hours and now it’s time to pick up Rath. He grabs his keys and smiles at the modern cars and heads on autopilot to the soccer fields. 

He pulls up and waits for Rath to climb in. He feels weirdly nervous meeting his son for the first time. When Rath jumps in the car Alex nearly freezes in shock. If he didn’t know that they had adopted him, he’d think that there was some advanced artificial technology at play. He looks like a perfect mix between Alex and Michael. He has Alex’s tan skin, Michael’s golden eyes, and Alex’s dark brown hair, but it’s just as curly as Michael’s. 

“Dad! Are you okay? Can I drive?” Rath jolts Alex out of his daydream.

“No. Your father doesn’t want to be fixing the car all weekend...again.” 

“Ugh. That was one time! Why won’t Papa let it go?” Rath says with the exaggeration only a teenager can manage. Alex smirks in spite of himself. 

“You know your father.” Alex says pointedly. 

“I know.” Rath says quietly and massages the top of his left leg in a move so similar to what Alex does to his right leg that he nearly swerves off the road.

“Is your leg bothering you?” 

“Not really.” 

“Rath.” 

Alex notices Rath pull up his left pant leg and Alex sees the prosthetic and where it meets his leg, just below his left knee, similar to Alex’s. Alex is suddenly consumed with the memory of seeing Rath at the group home for the first time, barely a year old, sitting on the floor, and missing, from birth, the bottom of his left leg. Michael calls them his “matched set” and Alex falls a little more in love with him every time he does. 

“Papa said he would look at it this weekend since it’s been chafing.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything before you went to practice?” 

“You’ve been sick. I didn’t want to bother you.” 

“Rath.” 

“You do it too!” Rath says indignantly. And okay, Rath has him there. 

“We just want to help. Let him look at it tonight, and we’ll put lotion on it.”

“Okay. Hey Dad, can I go shopping with Auntie Isobel this weekend after the BBQ?” Rath asks him, effectively switching the topic. A trick he learned from himself _and_ Michael.

“Why do you need to go shopping with Isobel?”

“She’s going to help me pick out a tux.”

“A tux?”

“Yeah. You know. For prom.” Rath says and Alex can hear the unsaid “duh” in his tone.

“Who asked you to prom?” Alex asks, quickly remembering that Rath isn’t old enough to go unless a junior or senior asks him.

“No one…”

“Uh huh. Well we’ll think about letting Isobel take you…”

“Yes!”

“ _After_ you tell us who’s taking you.” Alex says smugly.

**~~~**

When they finally get home, Rath goes right to his room and Alex starts dinner, like he does so every night. It’s weird. He remembers everything from his life back in 2019, but he also has these new memories slotting into place next to the old ones. 

He’s just thinking that he needs to tell Michael what’s going on when said man comes up behind him and kisses his neck.

“Hey darlin’.” Michael drawls, and that really shouldn’t be as sexy as it is.

“Hey cowboy.” He responds automatically and turns for a proper kiss. 

“Mmm. What’s for dinner?” Michael asks as he sets his stuff down and sets the table.

“Pasta with butter sauce. Light since we have the BBQ tomorrow.” 

“Delicious. Remember you told Rath you’d make cookies with him tonight, too.” Alex nods and points to the ingredients on the counter for peanut butter cookies. It was one of the first things Rath mentioned when they got home before he wholed up in his room.

Speaking of the devil, Rath saunters into the kitchen and sits down next to Michael just as Alex finishes plating dinner. 

“Dad was daydreaming while driving again.” Rath says around a mouthful of pasta. 

“Oh were you?” Michael smirks and Alex swats at him. Two can play this game.

“Rath would like to go shopping with Isobel this weekend since he got asked to prom.” Alex says back and Rath glares at him.

Michael laughs, “Who asked you to prom buddy?”

“No one.” Rath grumbles.

“Well if you want to help your dad make those cookies I think you should tell us.” 

“Ugh fine! His name is Tommy.” Rath says quietly. He turns to Michael, but he realizes that neither he nor Michael looked surprised at this news. 

“You can go with Isobel, but we want to meet him.” Michael says and Alex nods along, because yes, that seems like the responsible parental thing to do.

“Fine. You’ll like him. He’s really nice and he’s into cars.” Rath blushes and Alex thinks his heart might burst open. Rath prattles on about Tommy and how they met, and his cheeks get even rosier when Michael asks if they’ve kissed yet. The answer is ‘no’ but he smiles like it has almost happened.

When they finish and Michael starts to do the dishes, Alex whispers to him.

“His leg is hurting. He said you would look at it.” Michael kisses Alex and nods.

“Rath, up here on the counter.” He pats the counter next to Alex. “Help your dad with the cookies and let me see the leg.” Rath hops up onto the counter and Michael rolls up his shorts and removes the prosthetic with practiced ease. Alex tsks at the angry red skin of Rath’s leg while Michael manages to look less than sympathetic. 

“You should’ve said something. I’m about to say you need to be on crutches all weekend.” 

“Papa…” Rath whines even while mixing the cookie dough batter.

“You know better.” Michael says as he lays the prosthetic on the table and grabs the lotion to put on Rath’s leg. 

“I know I’m sorry. Can we see how it looks in the morning and decide?” Rath asks and bats his eyelashes, a move Alex _knows_ he learned from him.

“Fine. But I’m checking it in the morning.” Michael says as he goes to work on the prosthetic. Rath smiles like he just won a huge victory, and Alex realizes he has. Michael usually never relents on either of them when they hurt themselves, but with the BBQ he knows Rath won’t want to be on his crutches. 

**~~~**

It turns out in the morning Rath’s leg is looking better and he heads outside to help set up for the BBQ and leaves Michael and Alex to their bed.

“Hey.” Michael says in a sleep rough voice. Alex turns over and kisses him as he runs his fingers through Michael’s curls. 

“Hi.” 

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Michael asks as he runs his hands down Alex’s side.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“You just look like you’ve been spacing out a little bit. Is the cold still lingering?”

“No. I’m fine.” Alex says and he’s just about to tell Michael what’s been going on when Rath knocks loudly on their door.

“You said we could have eggs and bacon for breakfast if I brought everything outside!” 

Michael groans and turns over. “Guess that’s me.” Alex chuckles and burrows further into the covers.

“Oh no, you have to get up. C’mon.” Michael pulls at the covers and Alex laughs. 

“No I don’t wanna.” Alex whines like he’s not a forty five year old man. Michael laughs.

“Papa!” Comes Rath’s voice through the door.

“Alright we’re coming. Start the coffee!” Michael yells through the door. 

**~~~**

Alex only has a couple of hours before he’s bombarded with their friends and family, and more kids than he’s ever been around. Each round of hugs brings new memories. One by one he learns about his history with everyone, except Kyle who he’s known since he was a child.

“Hey man. Glad you’re feeling better.” Kyle sits down next to him as his son Jimmy, named after Kyle’s late father, runs around with Max and Liz’s kids, Zan, named after Max’s late dad, and his twin sister Rosa, named after Liz’s late sister. They’re all around the same age, Jimmy is eight, while the twins are ten, making Rath the oldest. 

“Thanks for all the meds Doc.” Alex quips and Kyle chuckles. 

“So, I have some news...or well _we_ have some news.” Kyle says and Alex turns to look at him and raises an eyebrow. Kyle smirks.

“Jenna’s pregnant.” Kyle says warmly.

“Congratulations!” Alex says and hugs Kyle.

“I know you guys were thinking about another one.” Kyle says once they separate.

“Yeah. But Rath’s almost out of high school now, plus we’ll have your little one to cure the baby fever.” Alex chuckles. 

Kyle smiles and Alex can hear the excited squeals from everyone else around the backyard. Kyle gets up to help Michael at the grill when both Liz and Maria come sit next to him.

“So we hear Rath has a date to prom.” Liz smirks and Alex can swear he sees the devil sitting on her shoulder. 

Alex laughs. “I take it Isobel told you she’s taking him shopping?” 

“Oh yes. We’re going with.” Maria says warmly. “And we’ll be here when he gets picked up too.”

Alex shakes his head. “Please don’t turn this into a scene from _My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”_

“We would never!” Liz says outraged. Alex just laughs, because _of course_ they would. 

**~~~**

With the cleaning done from the BBQ, everyone sent home with leftovers, and Rath in his room doing whatever it is fifteen year olds do, Alex feels like he can finally relax. He still has to speak with Michael about whatever is happening to him. How he was just in 2019 and now he’s in 2035 living a life he couldn’t have even dreamed of even if he tried.

“Hey darlin’.” Michael says as he sits on the bed next to him. Alex leans into his arms, the warm embrace settling something inside of him. 

“Tired?” 

“Yeah.” Alex wants to tell him, he does. But he doesn’t want to ruin this perfect moment, or this life they’ve built. How do you tell someone that you’re not _their_ Alex? Even if you are Alex. He thinks that maybe it can wait one more day as Michael starts kissing his neck and latches on to a spot behind his ear that makes him weak in the knees. 

He turns his head to capture Michael’s lips. “Michael.” Alex moans and let's Michael lay him down on the bed. 

Tomorrow. He’ll tell Michael tomorrow.

**~~~**

Alex wakes up again in their comfy bed and he’s relieved. He’s half afraid every time he goes to sleep that he’ll wake back up in 2019 and this will all have been a dream. Michael’s nowhere to be found but he can hear the chatter in the kitchen signaling that Alex is the last one up. 

He makes his way into the bathroom and smiles at the two pairs of tortoise shell glasses so similar to the pairs they were wearing when they met. He goes to pick up his pair and put them on when Michael comes up behind him and kisses his neck. He’s just put the glasses on when he hears Michael.

“Hey darlin’. I think those **\---**

**\---** are mine.” Alex takes them off and shakes his head to clear the fuzziness that has surrounded his brain. He puts them down on the table and looks around the busy coffee shop.

“Sorry.” Alex says sheepishly and Michael smiles. It’s so familiar, yet not. Alex feels like he can remember bits and pieces from his daydream, if that’s what it was, but nothing concrete. He feels like he’s been sitting in this coffee shop for days, but it’s barely been thirty minutes.

“No problem Private.” Michael drawls and Alex laughs.

“Captain. Retired.” Alex says automatically.

“Well alright Captain.” Michael smirks and his eyes light up. Alex can’t help it, he smiles back. He has this feeling in the back of his head like he’s known Michael forever. Little snippets of fixing cars, weddings, soccer games, but he can’t place why he feels that way. 

“Do you want to get dinner with me?” Alex blurts out and then mentally slaps himself. That was awfully presumptuous of him, especially with someone he’s just met. Michael doesn’t seem to mind though.

“I’d love too.” 

**~2 years later~**

Alex and Michael are volunteering at the local group home. It’s something they both wanted to do, and Alex has a good feeling about it. A couple of months after he and Michael started dating Alex told him about his weird daydream, and how by just grabbing the wrong pair of glasses he somehow imagined their entire lives together. He doesn’t remember everything he dreamed of, but every once in a while he’ll get the feeling of deja vu and realize it’s just how he imagined it.

Michael jokes that it was fate, and that they shouldn’t mess with it and Alex can’t help but agree. 

He’s just turned the corner to go into the playroom when he spots him. A baby barely a year old sitting on the floor, missing the bottom half of his left leg, and holding a plush green alien. Alex is hit with such a sense of love and longing, that he knows this is the baby of his dreams. 

“What’s his name?” Alex asks the caregiver.

“Rath.” She says and Alex swallows.

“Michael!” Alex yells and Michael comes running in and sees Rath sitting in the corner smiling at them with his arms up in the air like he wants to be picked up.

“Is that him?” Michael says as he crouches down to become eye level with Rath. 

“Yes.” Alex says choked up. Michael turns to look at Alex as he picks up Rath and brings him closer. 

“Is he how you remember him?” Michael asks as Rath makes cooing noises at them.

“He’s better.” Alex says and kisses Michael. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come find me on Tumblr - same username!


End file.
